Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Custom Skins => Topic started by: Greebo on July 23, 2020, 08:57:50 AM

Title: Elsie
Post by: Greebo on July 23, 2020, 08:57:50 AM

Thank you to Lyric1 for finding me the info for this skin.

This is "Elsie", the P-38L flown by Lt Col Clay Tice, CO of the 49th Fighter Group while based in the Philippines and later Okinawa during 1945. As CO of the group Tice's aircraft featured red, yellow and blue markings to represent the individual colours used by his three squadrons. Also his personal skull and tomahawk emblem was painted on each cowl and the name "Elsie" on the nose.

Clay Tice started the war flying P-40s with the 49th FG in the South West Pacific theatre, then was posted to command the P-47D-equipped 507th FS in Europe, before finishing the war back with the 49th FG, but this time as its CO. Probably his most famous exploit though on the 25th August 1945 was to be the first American pilot to land in Japan, a week before General MacArthur landed there to sign the document that ended the war. Tice was leading a flight of P-38s on a sweep over Japan that was to monitor the ceasefire then in effect when one of his pilots Flight Officer Hall reported he was short on fuel. Determining that Hall would not make it back to Okinawa Tice decided that he, Hall and an air sea rescue B-17 should land at a Japanese Army air base to ask for assistance. The Japanese officers at the base helpfully supplied a pump to allow for some of the B-17's fuel to be transferred to Hall's aircraft and the three planes then took off and returned to Okinawa.

(https://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=400732.0;attach=32907)

(https://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=400732.0;attach=32909)

Title: Re: Elsie
Post by: lyric1 on July 23, 2020, 09:13:19 AM

 :aok

Title: Re: Elsie
Post by: Devil 505 on July 23, 2020, 09:28:18 AM

Very nice.

Title: Re: Elsie
Post by: Shuffler on July 23, 2020, 09:43:47 AM

Nice work.

Title: Re: Elsie
Post by: oboe on July 23, 2020, 09:56:37 AM

 :aok

I’ve never seen that skin before, but think the skull looks vaguely familiar.  Great find!

Title: Re: Elsie
Post by: Nefarious on July 23, 2020, 10:14:45 AM

Very good work! <S>

Title: Re: Elsie
Post by: Vraciu on July 23, 2020, 03:48:59 PM

Cool scheme and interesting story.  Nicely done.

Title: Re: Elsie
Post by: FTJR on July 23, 2020, 09:47:17 PM

Nerves of steel to do that. oh and nice skin

Title: Re: Elsie
Post by: Hajo on July 24, 2020, 09:26:57 AM

Nice!

Title: Re: Elsie
Post by: Guppy35 on July 26, 2020, 05:35:59 PM

First Allied bird to land in Japan when he and his wingman got 'low on fuel' :)

Title: Re: Elsie
Post by: Greebo on July 29, 2020, 07:22:38 AM

Lyric1 found out that the 49th FG's individual squadron colours were actually red, blue and black, so I have altered the skin to match. I really should know better than to trust profiles and models for this sort of stuff.

(https://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=400732.0;attach=32948)

Title: Re: Elsie
Post by: Devil 505 on July 29, 2020, 07:37:43 AM

I like the scheme even more now. Looks less like a flying clown car.

Title: Re: Elsie
Post by: Vraciu on July 29, 2020, 09:27:36 AM

Yep.  Looks even better now.   Very cool.   :aok